The Second Time
by Links6
Summary: It's the second time Hannibal Lecter's taking care of Will Graham -who recently acquired a cold! Possibly just the beginning! sick!Will awesome!Hannibal


_I do not own Hannibal, Will Graham, Alana Bloom or any other 'Hannibal'-related characters. They were created by Thomas Harris, a genius whose idea I'm borrowing for a short while to piece together a loving bit of fan-fiction goodness!_

Hannibal the Series! I hope you guys enjoyed that freaky little ending to 1x13 as much as I did! SO! In honour of the coming 2014 series, I wrote up a little chappie that goes somewhere between episode 6/7. It's meant to show the shift of dependence of Will from his 'old' friends to the 'new'... Enjoy!

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_**The Second Time**_

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"This is the second time you're looking after me, Doctor Lecter?" Will said and huffed with a smile, "I might get used to this"

"It's my job as your psychologist to make sure you're healthy…" Hannibal said and smiled, "and as a friend, it's my pleasure to help a friend in need."

"It's just a cold," Will countered and sneezed with a resounding ferocity.

The good Doctor smiled mildly and handed his friend a small box of tissues, "But a cold is still a cold, it's not a weakness to be sick, it's a normal part of life."

Will looked at the tissues distrustfully, he'd been practically sand-papering his nose until now with the tissues and toilet paper he's tried, so this new introduction needs to be attempted cautiously. But as he seizes two folds in his hand, he's actually surprised by the silky smoothness of the tissues and absently brings it up to his face and rubs it on his cheek, "You always make everything sound so elegant," he finally brings it up to his nose and hesitantly hovers in place, "What are this tissues made of, by the way? Silk?" he sneezes abruptly, but he's surprised when his sneeze-saviour is actually just as soft in touch as it is to the schnozzle.

Hannibal smiled, he waited until his friend was done with his … illness… and finally pushed the bowl of soup toward him, "You should eat before it gets cold, Will."

"I don't think it's such a good idea, food hasn't really been a good idea so far," the young man sniffed, quickly turned his head away just in time to prevent a disastrous infection to befall his new psychologist. The sneeze resounded through the room and seemed to dampen his spirits even more.

"Will it help you if I can assure you that good nutrition is vital to your recovery?"

"I'm not worried about recovery," Will stated and longingly looked at the soup in front of him. All creamy deliciousness that he can't taste or smell. Or eat and keep down.

"Then what are you worried about?" Hannibal asked, folding his hands on his lap, as if this were another session of therapy. It probably was, for him. "Do you find yourself concerning about returning to work?"

"No… yes…. Maybe?" the young man coughed a few times and quickly slurped down the water Hannibal pushed in front of him, he cleared his throat after a few more moments. "I'm not sure…"

"Are you alright?" the psychologist said, his eyebrow just slightly raised in visible concern.

"I'm fine, thank you…"

"Are you concerned about your mental well-being if you were to return to your work with Jack?" the Doctor pressed again and seemed to implore Graham for an answer this time. He was surely not about to let this opportunity to find out of the inner-workings of his empathic friend escape.

"Are we really having a session while I'm sick?" Will snapped and rubbed his already red eyes.

"Would you like to eat first before we continue?" Hannibal finally relented and cracked the smallest of smiles. "Or should I call your friend and ask them to come visit you?"

"I'd rather not have Alana see me like this…"

"I was referring to Agent Crawford," but the smile on Hannibal's face is not unlike the Cat with a canary. Not exactly an unfamiliar sight from his new friend, but not exactly pleasant either.

"Shall I make you some herbal tea instead?" the man suddenly said and stands up, not waiting for the answer to come.

"I only have-"

"I came prepared."

Will Graham isn't much of a man of action. He's more of a fisherman, waiting for those who want, to come to him. He doesn't go looking. He doesn't purposely go looking for disaster, but somehow it finds him. He doesn't offer his services, but somehow those who need it are attracted to him. He doesn't want a dangerous life, but someone it always tracks him down. Usually through a medium, like Jack Crawford, the Chesapeake Ripper, the Minnesota Shrike, Garret Jacob Hobbs or even sometimes inadvertently through Alana…

And somehow, Lecter's been there. Not for long now, but he's been there. Like a harbour for a vessel, or a plain after the mountains. His company compels and intrigues. Imbues and fulfils. It's the regeneration of an emotion that's so long forgotten it's stale. Identity.

Someone who knows who he is, who is who he is. Hannibal knows exactly who he is, what he's expected of and what he's capable of. A man who has his own identity. Someone who doesn't need to be understood, and can simply just be. It is a wonderful reprieve.

No analysis or documentation or laboured investigation. Just being there, just sitting with a –_friend. _It wasn't exactly such a foreign concept to him mind, and still it was exciting for him. A friend. To rely, to support, to converse, to fight, to be.

"Will?" Lecter stands in the doorway with a tea tray in his hands, a quizzical look on his face, "I hope you have not lapsed into hallucinatory fever dreams?"

"Well.. that tea does smell pretty good from here…" he smiled and laughed sheepishly as Lecter closed in, "… I think? Unless THAT's the hallucination you're talking about?"

"Absolutely, horrible and bitter, but good for the body. The tea is Echinacea brew, to strengthen immunity and hopefully get rid of your-"

Will sniffled just in time for Lecter to them point at him and smile with reason.

"I trust you have no protest against honey?" he said and hands Agent Graham the cup of blissfully mild tea.

Will's already halfway through gulping down the tea when he noticed Hannibal spoke, "OH! Honey? No… not…" he finished the tea in one last gulp, "….not at all!"

"Herbal tea is meant to be enjoyed with every sip," Hannibal stated and sighed with a smile, "But, it would still have beneficial effects either way… Was it to your taste?"

"Like menthol sweets…"

"Is that a good thing?"

"I hope so… " Will said and yawned for a moment too long, pleasantly surprising himself. Not being able to soundly sleep for the past few days have worn him out, and somehow manages to fall asleep without even meaning to.

And so, good doctor waits until he was sure his newest lamb was fast asleep before leaving.

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_Could this be the start of a mini-series...? :DD I love Hannibal so much! I hope you guys enjoyed it!_


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